Pain in Spain continues with feevee merger

Movie admissions down 5% in 2002

MADRID — “Spain is dead,” a French sales agent said at last month’s European Rendezvous of French Cinema.

But the news of the demise of local Spanish distribs is somewhat exaggerated — “comatose” would be more apt.

No main Euro distrib sector has been harder hit by the continent’s pay TV crisis than Spain. On Jan. 29, Telefonica and Sogecable greenlit the merger of their digital TV platforms. According to Spanish distribbers, the single platform’s slots will be stacked with studio pics for two to three years to come. Bad news for indie fare.